


we are alike

by mak (cold_blue_eyes)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Future Fic, M/M, Police Officer Stiles Stilinski, Pre-Slash, just in mention tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 10:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14018055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cold_blue_eyes/pseuds/mak
Summary: Derek was finishing another round of edits in the last manuscript he received from his editor when he heard the door of the apartment opening, then someone sighing heavily before closing the door with a careless kick.“Sorry,” murmured Stiles from the living room, barely loud enough for Derek to hear.The heavy smell of gunpowder and sweat reached Derek’s room, and he only saved his current changes before closing the lid of his laptop.





	we are alike

Derek was finishing another round of edits in the last manuscript he received from his editor when he heard the door of the apartment opening, then someone sighing heavily before closing the door with a careless kick. 

“Sorry,” murmured Stiles from the living room, barely loud enough for Derek to hear. 

The heavy smell of gunpowder and sweat reached Derek’s room, and he only saved his current changes before closing the lid of his laptop. Derek scrubbed his eyes with a hand before rolling the chair back and getting up. He heard Stiles walking to their shared bathroom, then the water running on the sink.

Their roommate arrangement was a bit complicated at the start when they were getting around to knowing each other better, but with some give and take they got used to their routines and habits. If Stiles had to be prepared for full moons with a wolf, Derek had to get used to Stiles’ unusual hours as a cop. 

Even though Derek had managed by now to tune out most of what happened in the other room, which was a good thing, their shared existence made it impossible for Derek not to be connected to Stiles in some way - and that’s why he knew it’s been months since the last time Stiles came home like that.

Derek left his room and walked to the bathroom’s open door, leaning against the threshold as he glanced at Stiles in his uniform washing his face under the sink. When Stiles sensed Derek was there he closed the tap, but still kept his head lowered, just breathing.

“You okay?” Derek asked. 

Stiles didn’t say anything at first, only sighed. With water dripping from his hair onto the floor and his clothes, Stiles straightened up. 

He took a deep breath. 

“Yeah.” 

In his eyes there was something Derek didn’t like seeing, disappointment in humanity. After years doing police work Stiles should be used to that, but for all the optimism he always said not to carry with him, Stiles was still very compassionate about his work. He hoped for the best, even prepared for the worst.

Stiles shook his head, inhaled deeply as he raised his shoulders and then exhaled, relaxing. His eyes cleared up a bit when he really looked at Derek, like seeing Derek brought something good to his mind. 

“So, how about some homemade pasta?” Derek offered. He knew Stiles needed some tender care, and since they shared so much together in that apartment Derek knew when he’d need something Stiles would be there for him too. 

“That would be awesome, man.” The honest answer came in a tired tone, but the air smelled faintly of warm happiness, which was always related to Stiles wanting some food. It was indeed the easiest way to get to him.

“Take a shower and I’ll start things up.”

Stiles looked at Derek for a beat without reaction, but then he smiled. It was small, sweet and simple, but a smile that brought good memories to Derek, of the usual upbeat and funny Stiles, the one Derek never minded having around, even when he was a bit of a nuisance.

With a long look hanging in the air, Stiles turned to his bedroom to grab clean clothes, and Derek moved to the kitchen, leaving any prospect of going back to his work behind. It wasn’t like he had to finish it all today. 

When Derek heard the shower running he started opening cabinets, taking out ingredients and pots to cook. 

His mom was fantastic in the kitchen, and Derek loved everything she made. He wasn’t gifted in that department, to be quite honest, but he still was good enough to make things from scratch every now and then. If he had the time he’d probably cook something like lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs, but he wanted something quick and easy, so  _ Aglio e olio _ it was. 

Derek filled a pot with water to boil, then scoured the fridge for some garlic and basil, if he still had leaves that weren’t too old already. After some days they didn’t look like the freshest of the herbs, but Derek knew Stiles hated parsley, so he had to change things up just a bit. 

While he chopped the garlic Derek tried to hear if Stiles was alright in the bathroom, and in any other occasion he wouldn’t do that because of privacy reasons, but it seemed like today had been hard for him already after whatever happened to him, and Derek felt protective.

His family would probably say that he was too attached, and his wolf would resent him if something sent Stiles and Derek their separate ways, but Derek liked where things were now. And he knew Stiles liked them too. Of course every now and then he could sense some different emotions coming off of Stiles, and it wasn’t like Derek didn’t have a human part in him. But there was such respect between the two of them it felt wrong to even imply that one would ever use the other for selfish reasons.

When nothing seemed far from ordinary, Derek left Stiles to his own devices and concentrated on the food. By the time Stiles finally left the bathroom the pasta was already boiling in salted water.

A moment later Stiles finally came out. He looked alive now, with some color on his face, probably from the hot water. Derek appreciated the hungry gaze Stiles sent to the frying pan with garlic simmering. It seemed like things had gotten better, then.

“Dinner’s almost ready,” announced Derek, glancing at Stiles when he came into the kitchen.

“I can set the table.”

In silence, they moved around the kitchen like well-oiled machines, Derek offering space when Stiles wanted to get something, and Stiles mumbling a ‘thanks’ without even looking at Derek. When the pasta was cooked Derek dried the spaghetti, poured it back into the pan and tossed in the garlic in oil, adding the sliced basil at the end. 

It looked presentable enough when he put it on the table.

“Let’s dig in.” Derek motioned at the food.

“It looks good,” Stiles said, already taking a hold of the serving spoon. Derek sat down and waited.

They ate without much of a conversation going on, which was something unusual in itself. Stiles still made his hungry noises, which were cataloged already in Derek’s mind by now. He had to admit it took him time to get used to how vocal Stiles was about anything and everything, and not just once he had to remind himself to control his thoughts around Stiles.

As they ate Derek kept waiting for Stiles to open up, to talk about this day, but all the silence put him on edge. 

Derek waited, of course. Eventually, Stiles would say something. 

After putting in two full plates of pasta, Stiles finally broke down. Not with a cry, but with a hardened sadness in his eyes that touched Derek. He pushed his plate away and took it to the sink. Derek followed him.

“Thanks for this. It helped,” Stiles opened with that one when they were side by side in front of the sink. Derek started soaping up the dishes and Stiles leaned on the counter, not offering to help Derek, surprisingly.

“What happened?” 

Stiles waited for a beat before answering. It looked as though he didn’t want to say it, but in the end, he did.

“There was this call for domestic abuse today, it was in Beacon County. Parrish and I drove out there together, while Dad went with Deputy Graeme, plus two more units from there. It was in the rural area, in an old farm that, well, I don’t know, just gave me this bad feeling.” 

Stiles’s mood soured, Derek could feel it in his scent.

“How bad was it?”

Stiles didn’t open his mouth at first like he was just thinking what he wanted to say. A moment later he let it come out.

“It was terrible. The husband was keeping his wife and the kids locked in the basement, for God knows what reason. According to the mom, they’ve stayed down there the entire week. It was only because the bus driver that takes the kids to school didn’t believe the lies the father told him about the kids not going to school that we got the call.

“Everything was just a mess when we got there. The kids were so frightened we could hear them crying from the outside. Dad went alone first to talk with the man, but he barely opened the door before pointing a gun at the cruiser.” Stiles hitched a breath and his mouth shook. “Dad had to defend himself and then all hell broke loose because the man went nuts.” Stiles shook his head.

Derek could sense that Stiles’ breath was slightly erratic and his heart was beating faster, even though he still looked in control on the outside.

After a moment of silence, Stiles took another breath before talking.

“I’m glad neither the woman or the kids got hurt, but they know what their father did, and the man,” Stiles huffed out a shaky breath, “he came out guns blazing like he wanted to kill everybody, and I didn’t even think, I just shot him because my dad was there, and I wasn’t even the only one that fired a gun, but…” Stiles stopped, not able to talk anymore. 

Before Derek could see the tears he smelled that bittersweet scent. He glanced to the side and saw Stiles looking up as though he wanted to stop his eyes from welling up. Derek leaned his shoulder affectionately on Stiles’, still wanting to give him some space.

“Your dad’s okay?” Derek asked. 

Stiles nodded. “Yeah,” came out the garbled word.

“And you did what you thought was right, wasn’t it?”

Stiles sniffed, trying to get a hold of himself. He nodded again.

“I did. And I’d do it again. At first, I thought I reacted like this because my dad was in there, but I was incredibly relieved when the kids and the mom were unharmed. It made me feel like what I did was good, even though… it cost one life.”

At the admission, Stiles let some more tears fall. Derek washed his hands quickly under the water and then dried them in his shirt before putting an arm around Stiles, who immediately relaxed against Derek. 

This was exactly what his instincts wanted, so Derek didn’t think much before he pulled Stiles against him and held him close. He could sense Stiles calming down, his scent going from sour and pungent to a faded sadness, which didn’t smell so bad compared to the former. Derek had experiences in dealing with danger with the supernatural, but it was something different than being a policeman and risking your life to save someone else.

Derek admired Stiles and his father more than anything, even though this would never be something he’d choose for himself, or for anyone else if he could make that choice. Perhaps it was because of that his wolf felt protective. Derek was already used to compartmentalizing his worry and letting it come out just on the right occasions, like now.

Stiles relaxed. Derek’s wolf wanted to keep Stiles close to himself, especially when their eyes found each other and Derek could see something raw in those brown eyes, something rough and painful that couldn’t be hidden.

Derek let his own eyes flash blue like Stiles knew they were.

“We are alike, in a lot of ways, Stiles.” 

“My eyes would already be the same color as yours, though,” Stiles reminded him. And Derek knew this certainly wasn’t the first time Stiles had to carry the guilt of hurting someone, even though they weren’t always innocent. 

“But it doesn’t matter what color they would be, Stiles. What’s important now is that you’re safe, your father’s safe, and that family will be too.”

Stiles nodded. It seemed like he was tinkering in his head with what Derek said, probably to assure himself that it was the truth.

“And you will be alright, you know? You’re strong, and you have a lot of people that are here for you.”

With that Derek almost let slip some things that he shouldn’t even be thinking of, but it wasn’t like they weren’t true. 

He was glad Stiles mustered a smile.

“I know, Derek,” Stiles told him, and those words were laced with gratitude. Stiles’ eyes found Derek, and they bonded in silence. Some new scent started to grow in the air, and Derek knew that one, he smelled it more than once. 

Stiles had a particular brand of attraction that usually smelled like cinnamon and wet dirt after rain, and this time it was mixed with a bunch of different things, and Derek could only try to catalog them as he picked up the scent. Stiles’ pupils were blown wide and his heartbeat went up again.

Derek felt his own heart starting to beat faster, at least until Stiles looked away, and once again something sour dashed that sweet scent.

“Hey,” Derek called him, quietly. Stiles hesitated a moment before turning to him.

“Sorry for, hum, the  _ feelings _ ,” said Stiles.

“I don’t care-”

“But I do, Derek.” Those words seemed hard and unmovable. “You’re amazing to me, and I don’t want to make things awkward, don’t want to even risk losing this, okay? So just, ignore them and let’s move on.”

Stiles said all of that hastily like he wanted to put it all out and not have to deal with anything right now, but Derek couldn’t let that happen. He moved his hand to Stiles’ nape and brought their heads closer.

“What if I don’t want to ignore?” Said Derek. Never before he imagined himself quite exactly saying those things, but here he was. “I don’t want to risk losing anything either, but what if we don’t need to lose this? What if we can have this and much more? I’d never hurt you, Stiles-”

“I know.”

“-but I also want you to know that this is not one-sided. I have ‘feelings’ too,” revealed Derek, and he felt vulnerable right then, but the admission made him also ecstatic, especially when that sweet smell of cinnamon came up again.

Stiles looked at his eyes like they had all answers to his questions.

“You’re serious?” He asked, probably hoping for it to be a joke, but Derek knew better.

“Never been more serious in my life. Stiles, you matter a lot to me.” At the admission, Stiles’ scent finally took on a lighter note, so light Derek almost felt like he would float right then.

“You matter a lot to me too, Derek.”

Their eyes found a connection that seemed to not exist before, and Derek couldn’t imagine a more important moment between them. It was fragile, barely the start of something new, but Derek cared so much about it he would hold it close to his chest, and never let go.

Like he’d never let go of Stiles.


End file.
